Chapter 347: Return Home

【Task Type: Script Task (Single Player)】

【Task Name: Return Home】

【Phase One Objective: Wait for teleportation in complete darkness two hours from now】

【Reward: None】

【Failure Penalty: Next task becomes a Punishment Task】

Here it comes.

Li Cheng's expression hardened; in journalism, there's a saying: "The fewer the words, the bigger the matter."

This script task's name was merely "Return Home"—it was likely trouble.

He gave a few quick instructions to the AI core, then strode out of the toy factory.

The cylindrical robots working on the assembly line saw him leave and rushed out after him, waving their vertical flags excitedly as they watched him depart.

Some robots, overcome with emotion, even sprayed green battery fluid like tears from their electronic eyes.

Is this really necessary?

Li Cheng, sweating with annoyance, left the arena and returned to the real world, where he roused Gray Rain, who was picking his nose.

He allocated his two upgraded attribute points to Strength and Agility; his current panel read:

【Lifesaver Gambler · Master Pi Fu】

【Lv20, EXP: 272/2000】

【Strength: 11】

【Agility: 11】

【Intelligence: 12】

【Constitution: 12】 (New Human: +1) (Common Man's Fury: +1)

【Perception: 12】

【Charisma: 5】 (Barbecue Enthusiast: -1)

【Equipment Slot: Two-Yin-Yang Blade, Ocean-Soul Binding Bell, Assembled Doll, Proof of Odd Mechanist, Holographic Bone Corridor, Bat-Wing Weight, Skill Mobility USB, Information Synthesis Glasses, Iron and Victory Flag Spear, Ape Regression Gun, Technological Singularity Device】

【Inventory: Notebook of Self-Destruction, Automated 3D Warehouse, Qili Toy Factory Key, Ten-Ingredient Tonifying Pill ×5, Ten-Eye Communication Earpiece, Emergency Escape Card, Electronic Pet Egg, Shark-Type Solo Exoskeleton, Bat-Wing Weight Armored Motorcycle, Xuanlei Qilin Blood Plasma, Avenger Cannon, Erotic Dao Robe】

【Skill Slot: Mist Concealment Technique, Multi-Threaded Brain Domain Method, Experience Roleplay Method, Instant Thunder, Familiar Swap, Qi Condensation Internal Explosion Fist, Riding the Tide's Furious Waves, Solid Rock Rooting Technique, Knight Never Dies Empty-Handed, Death Curse Torrent (Temporary), Brain Entropy Extraction (Temporary), Bloodthirsty Drunkenness (Temporary), Leopard Leap Double Jump (Temporary), Medium Auto-Aim Gravity Energy Ball (Temporary), Summoning Technique · Thousand Paper Cranes (Temporary), Summoning Technique · Manor Guards ×2】

【Game Currency: 9541】

【Spirit Power: 710】

【Sanity: 410】 (Barbecue Enthusiast: +120) (Helicopter Destroyer: +30)

【Gray Rain: Skill — Phantom Spirit Ambush, Equipment — Skull-Shattering Power Hammer】

The upgrade in Odd Mechanist rank had also increased his Spirit Power cap.

After making all preparations, Li Cheng turned off the living room lights and pulled the curtains shut, waiting in silence.

No warning, no tremor—

Li Cheng opened his eyes to find himself standing in a coastal woodland.

The sky was overcast, fine rain falling like silk; to his right, through the trees, he glimpsed the vast ocean and smelled the salty, briny wind.

Ahead, he could barely make out a humble tea pavilion beside a dirt road, and a large crowd gathered beneath it.

About fifty people, men and women, young and old, dressed in attire ranging from lavish to shabby; some carried swords, bows, or arrows at their sides or backs.

【Looks like an ancient-era script task.】

Li Cheng's eyelid twitched; a sense of unease began to brew.

He was Lv20, carrying two Epic items and a pile of Perfect-quality gear—his equipment was as lavish as that of a Lv25 or even Lv30 Transcendent.

If he truly went all out, even on a modern battlefield, he could cut through armored columns like butter.

Precisely because of this, this ancient-era task was almost certainly problematic.

【Task Briefing Playing】

【In the 42nd year of Ming Yong'an, the Holy Monarch ruled with wisdom, selected the virtuous and capable, enforced strict laws, practiced benevolent governance, diligently improved the state, welcomed sound counsel, and thus achieved a tranquil sea and clear river, prosperous people and wealthy nation】

Come on, is this really necessary?

Li Cheng's eyebrow twitched; script briefings rarely deceived with narrative tricks—most of the time, they told the truth.

Piling so many flattering adjectives onto a feudal emperor—were you reincarnated as a Han scholar, or did Li Er open a side account? Besides, the Ming Dynasty never had a "Yong'an" era.

【The Tu family of Nanhai, one hundred and twenty years ago, were merely impoverished fishermen of Huangjiang Prefecture's Nanhai Tanka (boat people), but now they are the wealthiest in the region, owning endless fields. Legend says their ancestor, while at sea with companions, encountered a shipwreck, was swept into the deep ocean, and visited the Dragon Palace, where he met the Dragon King】

【Of the group, only the Tu ancestor returned alive to shore. Afterward, he continuously brought back pearls, shell-turned jade, and dragon's saliva incense from the sea, using this wealth to befriend local gentry and officials above, and jianghu (underworld) figures below, quickly amassing a vast fortune】

【Now, the Tu matriarch's ninetieth birthday is approaching, and it is said she will settle the family estate and officially divide the inheritance. Those who have long been allied with the Tu family's first, second, and third branches have all been invited to the banquet, hoping to bolster their favored branch's standing during the division. Of course, there are also those with ill intent, seeking to uncover the Tu family's secret treasure trove】

【You, right now, hold exactly one invitation to the birthday banquet】

The moment the briefing ended, Li Cheng's hand grew heavy—a palm-sized bronze plaque appeared out of thin air.

The front bore engraved text for the banquet invitation: "Celebrating the Elderly, Sincerely Inviting You to Gather, October 10th, Chi Hai Island, Awaiting Your Honorable Presence"

The back bore intricate patterns of sea creatures: fish, shrimp, crab, shell, sea snake, octopus, turtle, shark, whale

All images were lifelike, with creatures growing larger toward the bottom—except for a circular blank space at the very bottom, occupying one-third of the surface.

It gave an unbearable, obsessive-compulsive discomfort.

Neither side of the plaque bore the invitee's name; Li Cheng scanned it with his Information Synthesis Glasses but found nothing unusual, so he took out the Electronic Pet Egg and released Gray Rain.

!

"Hss, the smell of the sea."

Gray Rain, the moment his feet touched ground, inhaled the briny wind deeply and perked up: "Who are we slashing?"

"Not slashing anyone—this time, we're going to a banquet."

Li Cheng sighed helplessly, and at that moment the system prompt chimed in just in time,

【Phase Two Mission Objective: With the invitation in hand, take a ship to Red Haidao, and survive until the longevity feast ends】

【Mission Time Limit: 48 hours】

【Mission Reward 1: 1500 Experience Points】

【Mission Reward 2: 6000 Game Coins】

【Mission Reward 3: Random Item ×1, quality depends on clear rating】

【Mission Reward 4: Random Skill Scroll ×1, quality depends on clear rating】

【Failure Penalty: Permanent retention in the scenario world】

Li Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, gave his glasses a small push, and said, "This is bad."

"What's wrong?"

Li Cheng briefed Hui Yu on the mission. "【'With the invitation in hand, take a ship to Red Haidao, and survive until the longevity feast ends'】—this sentence reveals at least four pieces of information.

One, only boarding a ship with the invitation is the correct way to pass.

If you sneak over by speedboat, or force your way in without an invitation, the outcome will be terrible."

Hui Yu thought for a moment. "Like running into sea monsters?"

"That's one possibility. There's also the chance that you simply can't find the bearings to Red Haidao at all, or the Tu family assumes you're hostile and combat triggers immediately."

Li Cheng nodded. Don't be fooled by the NPCs under that tea shed across the way wearing Ming dynasty clothes—the first rule for players is never to underestimate the natives of a scenario world.

There were relevant cases on the forums: a group of players arrived in a medieval-era mission world, investigated from every angle and confirmed it was the Middle Ages, and one after another felt they'd got it figured out—punching the Roman Empire, kicking the Papacy.

They were in the thick of their rampage when they suddenly discovered a thousand-year-old subway tunnel underground—turns out this was a human civilization rebuilt after an apocalypse.

The princess of the occupied small country sacrificed her life to summon a low-earth-orbit satellite cannon and blasted that whole group of players to smithereens; only their action cameras were transmitted back to the real world.

In short, never underestimate the natives of another world. Who knows whether some villager covered in dust and carrying a hoe might be in possession of planet-crushing warships, regression cannons, or two-dimensional foil technology.

Li Cheng continued his analysis: "Second, during the longevity feast you have to stay on Red Haidao—you can't leave early.

Three, the longevity feast cannot be interrupted or stopped ahead of time.

Four, the closer it gets to the end of the feast, the more dangerous it becomes."

This point is rather strange—since it's called an island, the area on it definitely can't be small.

After Li Cheng activated his insect-form, his defense shot straight up to that of a main battle tank; at the very least he could have Hui Yu curl into a ball, hide inside, and tank terrifying natural disasters like volcanic eruptions or high-intensity earthquakes head-on.

What kind of danger could threaten Li Cheng?

The two stood there mulling it over for a while, but couldn't come up with an answer. The rain grew heavier, so Li Cheng pulled a hot water bottle out of his dimensional warehouse, tucked it into Hui Yu's arms, and casually popped open an oil-paper umbrella as he headed toward the tea shed in the distance.

(End of Chapter)